The Great Responsibility for the Regathering of God’s People

May 10, 2017

Jeremiah 23:1-8

God is regathering His people. He is bringing together His flock. As Romans 9-11 shows, the time of the Gentiles is the period when God will gather His flock from the world outside of Israel. It is the reason that Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus took the time to gather followers from among His people. However, the Jews rejected Him.

In the future, Jesus will reign as the rightful King of Israel. The reason is because He is the “Righteous Branch of David,” or David’s Great Descendant. These days are coming (Jeremiah 23:5-6). Before that time, Israel will regather back in the land that God promised them (Jeremiah 23:7-8). The reason we know that this is a prophecy for the future is because this time, people won’t talk about God delivering the people of Israel out of Egypt into the Promised Land. This regathering of Israel will be so significant, that it will rival that great miracle.

After World War II, the Jews at a point of almost extinction were without a homeland. Because of the horrors of attempted genocide that Nazi Germany committed against the Jews, the world agreed to allow the Jews to return to the land of Israel. Jeremiah 23:7-8 predicts this.

““The days are coming” —the Lord’s declaration—“when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives who brought the Israelites from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the other countries where I had banished them.’ They will dwell once more in their own land.”” (Jeremiah 23:7–8, HCSB)

The cause for this regathering is the inability of God’s leaders to take care of God’s people. God places the responsibility and ultimately the blame for the scattering of His people on the “shepherds.” These ineffective leaders will be replaced (Jeremiah 23:4).

“I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any be missing.” This is the Lord’s declaration.” (Jeremiah 23:4, HCSB)

The fact that these leaders will be replaced by Jesus is judgment in itself. Jesus said that His followers will judge the nations and the people of Israel.

“Jesus said to them, “I assure you: In the Messianic Age, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28, HCSB)

The Jewish religious leaders will be expelled from their positions of power and authority. That alone is punishment enough for leading God’s people astray.

There is a lesson here for the church as well. God made us His children and allowed pastors to be their leaders. Pastors have a great responsibility to “gather God’s sheep.” We need to be involved in evangelism efforts. We are expected to do a better job of attracting people to God, not drawing them away.